Dwight,

There are obviously a lot of things that can effect the efficiency of a boat while it is being paddled over the surface of the water so begin by taking everything anyone else says with a grain of salt.

That said, when looking to build a strip-built I had two performance considerations speed and tracking. Let me explain my need, if it sounds familiar look at the boat plans that I choose. I wanted a VERY fast crusing speed. I like big water crossings because they afford me the freedom to travel long distances, however, no more than the next guy do I like being that exposed for very long. Simple solution is to paddle the distance at a high speed. There are two features I looked at when choosing my boat design. Extreme low wetted surface area and the longest water line I could find. Compromise here, this boat will be tippy, but FAST. The second feature, good tracking, comes into play simply because I like effiency. There is no sense in trying to make that crossing if half way between Queen Charlet and the main land you begin weather cocking. You'll slow down and have to spend energy making corrective strokes.

I have ordered the plans for the Razor Billed Auk and plan on building my wife a SOT version as well (thanks Nick). I think this boat is one of the few out there that will fit the niche requirements that I have for a kayak. Again, realize I anticipate that this boat will have little primary stability and will be tippy and hard to handle at slower speeds.

Best of luck,

Matt

PS: If you get this boat lets exchange e-mail and we can collaborate as we build ;^)